Tehran says seeking co-op with UN on human rights

TEHRAN - Mohammad Javad Larijani, secretary of the High Council for Human Rights Mohammad in Iran, has said that Iran is seeking close cooperation with the United Nations on issues related to human rights.

Larijani made the remarks in a message read to a conference on Human Rights Achievements in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“Islamic Republic is willing to work with international HR bodies, especially Human Rights Council,” Larijani told the conference attended by a number of foreign diplomats based in Tehran.

Following is an excerpt of the message:

The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly believes in supporting and promoting the human rights. This belief comes from the Iranian society’s values and principles.

Islamic Republic is willing to work with international HR bodies, especially Human Rights Council to advance our aim of improving justice globally and maintain peace, security and development by strengthening human rights.

Iran’s policies on the human rights are based on interaction and cooperation to support and promote the issue.

The Islamic Republic of Iran's approach towards human rights is a comprehensive one. In addition to the political and civil rights, the social and economic rights have been paid much attention as well and many tangible achievements have been made in this regard. Apart from international interactions, Iran has made continuous efforts in order to ensure and promote human rights domestically.

Iran has made any efforts to promote the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process since the UN Human Rights Council started applying it. This mechanism should be strengthened and it is regrettable that certain countries seek to weaken it.

Double standards and selective approaches should be avoided in the area of the human rights. The special rapporteurs are obliged to be professional and neutral and avoid their political motivations affect their mission.

Unfortunately, the special rapporteurs to Iran have mostly refrained to respect these principles and made claims far from realities. The special rapporteurs should have methodology and should not simply publish what they receive from unreliable sources.

There are impediments to hold a constructive talks on the issue of human rights at the international level. The first impediment is double standards which are destructive. The second is using the human rights as tool to reach political motivations and the third is terrorism and supporting terrorists as defenders of human rights.

‘Women to be given more executive posts’

Addressing the same conference, Masoumeh Ebtekar, the vice president for women and family affairs, said 30 percent of executive posts will be given to women in Iran within the next four years.

It is expected that women will have more active presence in future parliamentary elections, she said.

She also noted that “effective actions” have been taken to counter violence against women.

Shahindokht Molaverdi, presidential aide for civil rights affairs, also told the participants that the first report on advances and strategies taken to remove impediments to realize civil rights will be published soon.

She said that the Rouhani administration is determined to take practical steps in implementing the civil rights charter which is possible through cooperation of all bodies.